Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of the inherent dignity and inalienable human rights of every human being. It also marks the end of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, which are commemorated each year to raise awareness and garner support for ending violence against women and girls, which is one of the most pervasive violations of basic human rights that still persists throughout the world. Pakistan was one of the earliest signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Begum Shaista Ikramullah, member of the first parliament of Pakistan, was one of the early female delegates to the UN. Her work on the UDHR emphasized Pakistan’s strong commitment to gender equality which we continue to support today. The words of the Founding Father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, are our guiding principle, “We are equal citizens of one State”. It is towards this commitment that the Ministry of Human Rights has, over the past three months, drafted nine Human Rights legislations relating to protection of children, rights of minorities, protection against torture, improving legal aid and access to justice and concluded three policies and research studies on crucial topics. The Ministry is also redressing human rights violations through its Helpline at 1099. Helpline calls have increased from 4000 to 15,500 per month in the tenure of our government. A number of campaigns are ongoing to raise awareness on the impact of violence against women and girls as well as the laws and mechanisms in place to prevent and address it. The promotion and protection of human rights, including ending violence against women and girls, is a continuous process and faces many challenges which can be met by developing strong linkages between all stakeholders: government, judiciary, the legislature and civil society. I want to reiterate our government’s commitment to fulfilling all our human rights obligations as enshrined in our Constitution and as reflected in our ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ***** NOT TO PUBLISH AND BROADCAST BEFORE THE DAWN OF DECEMBER 10, 2018
PREVIOUS NEXT
